...half full? ...half empty? ...flowers!?
It’s the holiday season. A time for giving, merriment, and schadenfreude.
scha·den·freu·de [shahd-n-froi-duh] noun- satisfaction or pleasure felt at someone else's misfortune. (Courtesy of Dictionary.com)
Example: You’re out spreading holiday cheer with your family at the local mall. You pass the Santa line (the lesser ones, without the fast pass), which has moved to form its own union and overthrow the elf tyrants who stand between them and Father Christmas. As you stroll past them, and the four city blocks they inhabit, you think to yourself, “I’m glad that’s not me.” You smile to yourself, and stroll on free of elfin entrapment.
So maybe it’s not something you want to add to your list of traditions, but it’s human nature. Is it maniacal, ill-willed, and just a little bit petty? Yes, but hey, we’re human.
And I bring good news for the victims of schadenfreude. According to a new study, the degree to which we “enjoy” the failures of others, is a reflection of our own self-esteem. Shocking. Right?
So after making someone else feel better about themselves by face-planting in the light display because you were staring at your phone, take comfort (and perhaps a little bit of delight) in the fact that those hecklers have no self-regard.
Sure, that won’t stop them from laughing, pointing, mocking, and/or making up songs about your lack of coordination.
So next time you find yourself the butt of a joke, just remember, you’re boosting the self-esteem of all those jerks laughing at you. Feel better?
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“What Schadenfreude Says About Your Self-Esteem”: MSNBC
…bi-daily smile…
Proof that there’s a song for everything…
